The way of the Jedi in our Modern World

by Matthew Hart

I would love to say that my father had passed down some of my Jedi skills.  This maybe correct on a cellular level, definitely not through modelling or physical interaction though.  I do however believe that the skills of fathering, the essence of becoming a man in our strange modern world, is shaped by our father’s influence.

It’s a nice thought that the strength of man flows backwards down the eons, flowing from father to father.  The once rough rock of who that man will eventually become, being smoothed and rounded nicely by that man's previous generational kin.

If my father was a true Jedi what would he teach me?  Would my journey be more focused on love and the seeking of wisdom than strife and hardship?  Would I satisfy that desperate searching inner desire I have to find an adult male role model?  Perhaps my decision making processes as an adult could be made knowing that my path to that decision had come from strength and not fear.

I ask myself these questions in my quest to become a Jedi, a Jedi that exists right now.  Not in the past and not in the future, right now.  I strongly believe that the power from living, love and surviving in our modern world is the ability to live only in the now.  If I wanted to model myself on a garbage collector, or a famous football player, or a writer, I would base my primary belief in the fact that each moment only exists now.

Would a Jedi mourn the fact that he did not experience the loving supportive father that he craves?  Would a Jedi carry the disillusionment and shattering effect of a divorce around on his shoulders for all to see?  Would a Jedi pine after a child conceived during wedlock, that he has never seen?  What would a Jedi deal with the myriad of challenges that occur in life every moment?

If I base my premise on the fact that I only exist now, then I can only be happy.  What other emotion would I want to carry with me right now?  Yes my past and potentially my future carry all my experiences and that’s where they can stay, as experiences.

Ask yourself deeply, can you exist in any other space or time?  I have spent endless days, weeks, years, pondering heavily many emotional events in my life.  To what purpose?  Did the time spent worrying, crying, depressed, dark, gloomy, fighting, bring me any solace in that moment?  No way.

I am not saying that past events should have no meaning, or that our future should not have effort and planning directed towards it.  To a degree our past does shape who we are and our future does require effort towards achieving goals and fulfilling dreams.  Yet despite this, if you ask yourself right now, where do I exist?  Do I have any problems right now?  No you don’t.

Can you make your first step towards becoming a Jedi?  Can you say to yourself right now that all events in the past and all potential future happenings do not exist.  Scientifically in time and space, there is only one point, now.

Why a Jedi?

I would imagine that many people have seen Star Wars.  I watched my first Star Wars film as a child and the final film in the series as an adult.  My journey from worm to butterfly has been shrouded to some extent by the philosophy and excitement of this galactic adventure.

The guts of the film is the choice we all have between light and dark.  We exist only in the now, what choice will you make right now.  Will you choose the dark side or the light side?  The dark side of the force may be selfishness, anger, bitterness, baggage, blame etc. The light side is joy, belief in magic, love, forgiveness, laughter etc.  Choice.  It’s that simple.  What do you choose from moment to moment?  Light or dark.  My beautiful angel of a wife and I, use the analogy of light and dark when discussing the choices the children have.  My son may be asked, “Harvey my love, it’s your choice.  Do you keep taunting your sister or do you love her?  What side of the force do you choose?”  Right now.  “Daddy, do I have to?”  He understands though.

My children have completed this journey by becoming avid Star Wars followers themselves.  The modern version of cowboys and Indians.  We role play, we create our own universe where the battles of light and dark take place.

Our beautiful 'shining so brightly' daughter Isabela is offered the same choice.  She gets it.  “Bela you need to eat your breakfast sweetheart, not throw it on the floor.  You can go and lie on Sheepie or eat your breakfast.  It’s your choice."  Isabela more often will eat her breakfast, understanding the consequences of her choice.  Light or dark.

Every moment I am challenged by the choice of light and dark.  Do I become angry with the kids for trashing their room or do I take the more loving road and achieve the same outcome?  Do I give the finger to the oh so slow driver who I have been stuck behind for the last twenty minutes, or do I wait patiently and bless them?  When Gabrielle loses her glasses yet again, do I slip into the incriminating husband role, or do I help her look, lovingly supporting her inability to keep small objects like keys and glasses around her.  When I open my cupboard, what do I choose to see?  So little food or just enough to get through today.

Choice.  Light or dark.  The Jedi way.  Everything I do can be whittled down to these two choices.  Ask yourself now, reflect on your own life, your own circumstances.  Can the apparent complexities of your life be pared down to the simple choice between light and dark? Gabrielle will gently ask me now, ‘Are you being a Jedi darling?”.  I may have been about to throttle one of the children, or speak darkly to an inept civil servant.  I stop, and ask myself what choice do I have in this moment.  Light or dark.

The Jedi Code

If you are to become a Jedi then you will need some tools to help you along the way.  Remembering that a Jedi will always swing between light and dark, Padawan and Master.  That is our journey, our ability to choose.  Even the greatest of human beings will stumble.  It’s our choice in the moment after stumbling that will effect our path, our destiny.

I have developed my own Jedi code.

Be attentive – every moment:

A very challenging step.  Being attentive every moment is to be focused on your reality right now.  Once I drift off into future thought or walk aimlessly in my past, I have lost the ability to be a Jedi.

Attentiveness can offer a platter of experiences that otherwise would be missed in the daily grind.  If I choose to be attentive then kissing my wife good morning is a beautiful moment.  Having my deeply magical daughter Ellenor stumble out of her bedroom with ten minutes to go before school time, can become a loving moment, a cuddle and some supportive words spoken instead of a grouchy father.  My breath, my ability to breath, defining my existence between death and life.  How many people are attentive to their breath?  Honouring their breath.

Being attentive is not a tool that can be carried out every moment.  Unless you are already a master!  If my life is running around me and I feel disconcerted, a little lost, then I realise that my attention has drifted into the future or the past.  Bringing yourself and the events around back to the now will instantly bring sanity to your moment.

I wish you well on your journey into the world of the Jedi and know that my own life has been greatly enhanced by remembering the simple choice between light and dark.

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